Lillian's Caseload Garden Pea is a garden pea heirloom that ranks among the finest-tasting peas available. This upright variety grows 24 to 36 inches tall and produces 2.5 to 3 inch pods ready to harvest in 55 to 65 days. Hardy in zones 3 through 9, it thrives in full sun and tolerates temperatures from 45 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. What makes this variety remarkable isn't age but passion: a Mennonite farmer named Lillian saved it from obscurity after a seed company discontinued it, spending nearly two decades preserving a variety she refused to let disappear.
12
Full Sun
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3-9
36in H x ?in W
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High
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Lillian tracked down seeds of the original Caseload pea after Johnny's Seeds discontinued the variety, then spent almost two decades of careful seed saving to ensure it survived. The result is a superior-tasting garden pea that represents the determined work of one gardener determined to honor a variety worth keeping. Gardeners who taste these peas understand immediately why Lillian went to such lengths. This is living proof that the best varieties sometimes need rescuing, not inventing.
Garden peas are harvested young and tender, eaten fresh from the pod or shelled for cooking. The pods are sweet and are eaten fresh as a snack or lightly cooked. They can be steamed, stir-fried, added to grain bowls, or combined with other spring vegetables. Many gardeners eat them raw straight from the garden, a pleasure that makes this superior-tasting variety particularly rewarding.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow seeds in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, planting at the depth specified below. In cooler zones, wait until soil temperatures reach at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvest pods when they are full and plump but still tender, typically 55 to 65 days after planting. The pods should measure 2.5 to 3 inches long. Pick regularly to encourage continued flowering and production. Peas taste sweetest when harvested in the morning after the dew dries.
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“Lillian's Caseload Garden Pea begins not in antiquity but in a seed catalog from Johnny's Seeds. When the company discontinued the Caseload variety, a Mennonite farmer named Lillian refused to accept its loss. She tracked down seeds of the original variety and committed to saving them. Over nearly two decades of dedicated seed saving, she preserved this superior pea, keeping alive a discontinued commercial variety that her family and community cherished. Rather than fade into catalog history, the Caseload pea was rescued and revived through Lillian's patience and determination, eventually reaching seed savers and gardeners through Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.”